What is it?

Mystery shopping is something that you could consider taking up as a business. Here, you will get to interact with employees, make purchases, possibly even returns, and at the end of it all, you will have to fill an evaluation form which describes just what happened while you were there. For this service, you will get paid by the research organization.

Who uses it?

Any business which deals with people can use mystery shoppers including stores, banks, restaurants, hotels, gas stations, auto service centers, amusement parks, pet stores, health clubs, etc. You can get paid for getting your hair cut, your eyes examined, visiting the bank, having dinner, filling up your tank with gas, watching a movie, and many other things which you would do already.

How much does it pay?

Fees for being a mystery shopper range from $10 to $100 or maybe even more. It will all depend on the amount of time and the difficulty of the task.

Many shoppers choose to do this in their free time. They earn a few hundred dollars each month this way. Some of them treat it as a full-time job. It isn’t unusual for them to make in excess of $1000 a month.

Are there any requirements?

You just need to be of legal age in order to be a mystery shopper. Apart from this, you must be able to follow instructions properly. You should also be reliable. The research company needs to be able to have faith in you.

How do you become a shopper?

Just apply to as many companies as possible. Remember one very important thing; a legitimate company is not going to charge you for working with them. If the company you’re speaking to does, look elsewhere. When you do get your first assignment, make sure you do it right.